The Maland Homestead

Honoring Our Legacy

The Maland family homestead was first settled by Norwegian immigrants John Johnson Mæland and his wife Mari Brekke Mæland in 1867. Both hailed from the fjord regions of Western Norway. More specifically, they both were born in Stryn, Nordfjord, Norway, Mari in 1828 and John in 1831. Their families had farms on the south shore of a lake called Strynvatnet, which lies east of a picturesque fjord called Nordfjord.

According to Rasmus Meland, author of The John J. Maland and Mari Brekke Genealogy (1959), the name Mæland is derived from a Norwegian word meaning “middle land,” because the Mæland farm was located the Bersta and Dista farms. The name was anglicized to “Maland,” likely when John J. and Mari arrived in the United States, since no simple equivalent to “æ” appears in English. Because the name is pronounced “MAY lund,” many of us who have the name know it’s not uncommon for those who hear it for the first time to misspell it or those who read it to mispronounce it.

The Homestead Act of 1862 provided the opportunity for John J. and Mari Mæland to come to own the rich farmland of the Mæland homestead. The act was passed during the Civil War, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, to encourage western settlement. Signed in May 1862, the act required several things of the potential claimant:

Claimants had to: be at least 21 years old; be the head of a household; pay about $18 in filing fees; be a U.S. citizen, or be eligible to become a U.S. citizen; swear that they never had fought against the United States; and promise to improve the land that was being given to them. In most cases the improvements included living on the land, building a house on it, and farming the land for five years.

John immigrated to the United States in 1866 and built a log house on the site in the spring and summer of 1867. After expanding the original log house in the 1870s, in 1888 he built a more substantial house pictured below.

John J. Maland continued to farm the homestead until 1899, when his son John Marius Maland (born in 1867), purchased it from his father. Rasmus Meland’s book calls him an “ambitious, energetic, and courageous” farmer. He bought a tractor for plowing and threshing but also owned horses to do some of the heavy work on the farm. He raised dairy cattle and hogs, and he grew corn, which was then primarily used to feed the animals. He bought additional adjacent land in 1907, and he continued to farm the land with his two oldest sons, Oscar (born 1892) and Henry (born 1894), until he moved to Frost in 1917. He built a duplex there and his son, Joseph and new wife rented the first floor. Joseph became the Post Master of Frost, MN .

John J. and Mari Maland’s generous spirit was apparent as they opened the doors of their home to Norwegian immigrants arriving the Frost and Bricelyn area. At his funeral at Dell church in 1907 Rev. Sondreson shared any of the selfless acts John was known for during those early pioneering years, “Books would have to be written, if all the benevolent deeds of John J. Maland were to be recorded,” His deep desire was to do good to his family and neighbors.

When Oscar was inducted into the Army in September 1917, Henry Maland operated the farm until Oscar was discharged in July of 1919. The brothers farmed the land and adjacent land that Henry had purchased, together until 1943, raising grain and livestock, among them Polish China hogs. After Oscar sold his livestock and equipment and moved into Frost in 1943, Henry continued to farm his land and the original homestead, assisted by his son Harlan, who was deferred from serving in World War II because of a shortage of farm workers and the demands for higher production.

When Henry moved into a house in Blue Earth in 1946, Harlan (born 1922) moved to his father’s farmhouse north of the original homestead, and when his grandfather John Marius Maland passed away in 1951, he bought 120 acres of the original homestead and continued to farm it until his retirement in 1968. In addition to farming, Harlan did corn shelling, operated a spraying business, and became a co-founder of WIM fertilizer. The spraying and fertilizer business kept him busy in the growing season, and the farm work got done in no small part because of Harlan’s hired men, Orville Zabel and Wally Sapa, with assistance from Harlan’s children.

Harlan’s son David and son-in-law Dale Brandsoy (who married Harlan’s oldest daughter Portia) became involved for a time in the farm business when Harlan was nearing retirement. After David and Dale both moved on to other careers.

In 1977 Harlan and Dorothy created the Harlan A Maland Trust which held 320 acres including the homestead. They also created Maland Farms, a corporation with the six children as shareholders. The Harlan A Maland Trust land and the Maland Farms land was rented out to the Becker’s who faithfully farmed for nearly 40 years.

In the early 80's Harlan and Dorothy received the Minnesota Century Farm recognition for stewarding the land in the Maland family. The Maland Homestead, having aged was eventually torn down to make way for more crops. To honor the homestead and Mom and Dad, their oldest son, Chuck and wife Nancy commissioned a local artist in Tennessee to paint a picture of the homestead. Chuck and Nancy now proudly display the original in their home and we all have copies to remind of this legacy.

The Maland Homestead

The Maland Homestead

Honoring Our Legacy

Preserve Your Heritage with The Maland Homestead

Remembering the Community

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